This invention relates to methods and apparatus for making electric motor parts having a magnetic core (e.g., the stators and rotors for electric motors), and more particularly to pallet systems for supporting such parts during manufacture.
The stators and rotors for electric motor parts are typically made on highly automated assembly lines. Each stator or rotor is typically conveyed along the assembly line by positioning it on a workpiece holder. Each workpiece holder is mounted on a pallet which is the element actually engaged by the conveyor system in order to support and convey the associated stator or rotor along the assembly line. Because precise positioning of the stator or rotor relative to the machine tools located along the assembly line is required, all elements of the workpiece support system must securely engage one another so that there is no looseness or "play" in the support system. On the other hand, most assembly lines must be able to manufacture more than one size or type of motor. It would therefore be desirable to have a workpiece support system which could readily adapt to supporting motor parts of different sizes and/or types.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a workpiece support system which both supports a workpiece securely and which can quickly and easily change to support different workpieces in an equally secure manner.
It is another object of this invention to provide improved pallet systems for use in manufacturing electric motor parts.